God Has Spoken

1 Peter 1:10-12

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son - Hebrews 1:1

In this you greatly rejoice

Blessed be the God and

the father of our Lord Jesus Christ

Who gave us birth

class=Section2> - according to his great mercy

unto a living hope

- through the resurrection of the Jesus Christ

from the dead

unto an imperishable, unspoiling and unfading inheritance

which is kept in heaven for you\ by God’ power

through faith in the salvation prepared to be revealed

at the end

Even though now

for a little while

if necessary

you have been distressed by

various trials

so that the proof of our faith

being more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor

at the revelation of Jesus Christ

You love him and believe I Him

even though you haven’t seen him

You greatly rejoice with joy

Inexpressible and full of glory

Obtaining the salvation of you r souls

which is the outcome of your faith

The grandeur of this salvation is made even more obvious as Peter notes the agents engaged in the ministry of redemption

-Prophets from the beginning

-evangelists in the fulness of time

-angels throughout watching and inquiring

All overshadowed and energized by the ever present Spirit of Christ

Now concerning this salvation

This salvation that they were experiencing was something the prophets of old admired and anticipated; something they had prophesied.

We will use an outline taken right out of Scripture. In fact it is an outline given to us by Peter, himself.

Concerning this Salvation . . .

It Was Spoken of by the Prophets

God’s been talking about this salvation for a long time.

The prophets were:

a. proclaimers of divine revelation

b. revelators of God’s will in the present and his plan for the future

c. announcers of judgement

The future aspect of the prophets’ ministry was of crucial importance since it provided a solid foundation for the authentication of the Christian message.

We are all aware of the odds of even one prophecy coming true.

What about several?

This is what Jesus was speaking of when he took the Scriptures and explained his death and resurrection.

As the Holy Spirit Guided Them

God’s made sure the message was truthful and accurately proclaimed.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable . . . so we may be

equipped!

How does Peter show his agreement with that statement?

2 Peter 1:21

2 Peter 3:14 ff.

And is not a matter of our own interpretation

We would do well to discover what he said and stand firm on its message

What does this mean to us today?

Pluralism: The result of the modernizing and secularizing forces in our world.

The core values and theology that have held the branches of knowledge and behavior and given some sense of unity to the masses of the Western world have been pushed out.

What remains? Options - not truth.

An example of this is in the statement: “All religions lead to the same God and to heaven.”

We settle for a kind of friendliness, afraid to speak of absolutes because of the demands of social etiquette.

What is needed is a compassionate announcement. Otherwise a timid or fearful suggestion about the gospel falls into one more slot of the pluralist organization.

We need to ask God for the courage to proclaim his truth with boldness and love, and to announce that truth to a society that is crippled with options.

John 3:16-18

He who believes - not judged

He who does not believe - judged already

Crisis: light has come into the world